Curtain stretcher



A ril 20 1.926. 1,581,662

- J. c. SANGERS CURTAIN STRETCHER Filed June 24 1922 'i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 20, 1926. 1,581,662

J. c. 'SANGERS CURTAIN STRETCHER Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

issresa JOHN C. sanesas, or cnnvn ann, onto.

CURTAIN s'rnn'rcnnn.

Application filed June 24, 1922. Serial No., 570,6" ?4.

To all whom mayfconcemt:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. SANcnRs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Curtain Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved ourtain stretcher, and its objects are to provide adevice of this character wherein all the pin carrying members of the curtain supp rting frame are in a common plane, thereby avoiding the objectionable offsets which are present in those types of ourtain stretchers having certain of the frame members overlapping; to provide a device of the foregoing character which is particularly convenient of use in that it may be lowered to a position wherein all parts .of the frame are in easy reach of the user and, after the curtain or curtains is or are applied thereto, may he stood substantially upright so as to occupy little floor space, making it possible to stand it alongside a stove or other heating 'a'p aratus where it is least in the way and so t iatthe heat will be appliedto the curtain or curtains to the best.- advantage; to provide a curtain stretcher wherein certain of the frame members are so connected as to insure a right-angular relation between them, and to graduate the frame members into inches or other standards of measurement so that the remaining frame, members may be readily set in like relation and adjusted to curtains of various sizes; to provide a curtain stretcher having a very wide range of adjustment so that curtains from the largest to the smallest practical sizes may be accommodated thereon; to provide a curtain stretcher that may be very readily assembled and as easily disassembled and which is foldable into a comparatively small space; to provide clamping. means for connecting certain of the frame members together which enables one member to be connected at any point longitudinally of another member without having to engage it over the end of said member and move it therealong to the desired position; to form the frame members so as to cause an interlocking between them which will enhance the character of the connection; and to provide a unique form of clamp for securing I the struts or stays to the frame members and for frictionally holding said parts in any adjusted position. i

The foregoing objects, and others which will hereinafter appear are obtained in theembodiment of my invention illustratedin the accompanying drawings which consti tute a. part hereof and wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved curtain stretcher; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of "the frame; Fig. 3 shows, in rear elevation, the parts of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 shows the same parts in folded condition as though viewed from the rear side; Fig. 5 is a sec tion on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6+6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 showsin perspective the upper end of one of the struts orbraces, andtheclamp for securing it to one of the upright members of the frame; and Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through one of the upright members immediately above the clamp.

The frame is made up of side members 1 and 2, a top member 3, and a bottom member 4. The side member 1 is composed of upper and lower sections 1 and 1", respectively, which are hingedly connected together by a hinge strap othatis pivoted at 6 and 7 to the respective sections 1"" and 1 (Figs. 3 and 41). A channel 8, having one of its, ends engaged over and connected as by screws 9 to'the lower outer edge portion of the section 1", is adapted to embrace the adjoining outer edge portion of the section 1, when said sections are iralignment, for the'cpurpose of effecting a rigid joint between'them, and said sections may be locked in this conditionby a thumb nut 10 that is screwed onto a stud 11 which is carried by the section l and projects through a hole in the web of the channel 8. I

A hingest-rap15, which is pivotally connected at 16 to the rear side of the upper end ofsection 1 and which is rigidly secured by fastening means17 to the adjacent end of the topmember 3, hingedly connects the 18, carried by thejmember 3, which engages a pin 19, in the upper end ofthe. member 1. TWhe'n, it is desired to fold members 1. and

o into compact form, the, latch 18 is disenframe members 1 and 33 so that they may i gaged from pin 19 and member 3 is swung down alongside section 1, and section 1 is released from the channel 8 through the mani nilation o1 the thumb nut 10 and is folded up along the sine of member 3 opposite that occupied by section 1, as clearly shown in Fig. The free end of the section 1, is retained in the plane ofmember 3 by being engaged over i the protruding end portion ot the hinge strap 15.

Sections 2 and 2", of the frame member 2, are hingedly connected in a manner similar to that in which the sections of member 1 are connected, the hinge strap which connects sections 2 and 2*,however, being shorter than the hinge strap 501 the former member, the extra length in this case being unnecessary, inasmuch as the two sections 2 and2 liedircctly together when folded. This is such a slight and obvious difference, that illustration of 'thelattcr connection is deemed unnecessary. The sections are held in alignment by' a channel when a stud 26, that is carried by the section 2", is engaged through an aperture of the channel and has appliedto it a wing nut 27. The upper end ofthe member 2 is adapted to be adjustablysecured to theftop member 3. by means of a clamp which is identical with a clamp which I shall presently describe in connection with the frame member a.

v The member 4cis comprised of sections 41 and 4* which are held in edgewise engagement and in the same plane by a plate 33 that issecurcd, by fastening means 34;, to the rear side of section At? and overlies the adjacent edge portion of the rear side of section 1?, the plate being provided with a longitudinal slot 35 through which a threaded stud 36 projects from the section 4 To assist in holding the sections l and 1" in parallel relation, :1 member 37, which is carried by the section 1, also extends through the slot 35and is provided therebeyond with a head. This construction enables the member at to be lengthened and shortened; and the sections thereof are adapted to be secured in any adjusted position by a wing nut 30 that is screwed onto the stud 36. The adjacent edges of sections 4: and 4t have ap plied to them metallic straps 10 to which are secured pins d1, the straps being relatively thin and preferably of rust-proof metal.

This arrangement brings the pins of the sections 1 and t" nearly enough into alignment for all practical pi poses.

The inner edges of the sections 1" and 2" of the respective side members 1 and 2 are beveled slightly, the surfaces ofsaid edges converging rearwardly; and the ends of member 1 are reversely beveled soras to slightly overhang the beveled edges of said sections. Secured to therear side of each end of themember 4 is the shank of an L- h r Clamp e5.- A thum s rew a threaded through the laterally disposed end of each clamp and, when turned up, is adapted to engage therespective side member of the frame'and force it into firm engagement with the adjacent end of the member 1.

The previously mentioned clamp 30 of the side member 2 may be identical with the clamps 4l5; and the upper end of the member 2 andthe edge portion 01"; member 3 wherewith it engages are beveled and inter-fit like the corresponding parts of the member 1 and sections 1 and 2 above described.

Struts or stays are adjustably connect-- ed to the side members 1 and 2 by a clamp illustrated indetail in Figs. 7 and 8. The clamp of each strut orstay is composed of substantially identical side plates 51 that are applied, in opposed relation to each other, to the opposite edges of the upper end of the corresponding strut or stay 50, and a bolt 52 passes through a transverse bore oi the strut and through apertures in the aforesaid plates which register with said bore. The head 53 of the bolt engages one of the side plates, and a wing nut .54, which is screwed on the threadedend or the bolt, engages the other side plate. The forward edges of the-plates 51 are provided with inwardly directed flanges 55 for engagement within longitudinal grooves in the opposite edges of the frame member wherewiththe clamp is adapted to be connected. The lower rear edge portions of the plates 51 are turned inwardly to provide stops 56 for engagement with the strut or stay to limit in one direc-' tionitsangular movement with respect to the frame member. The plates 51 may be strengthened by being flanged at 57 along their lower edges. When the thumb nut 54: loosened the clamp may be slid to any desired position along the upper section oi. the side member, and the strut 5O swung to a proper angular position; and when the parts are placed in the desired relation, they may be secured therein by tightening the thumb nut 54:. Even when the thumb nut is com paratively tight, the strut or stay 50 may be angularly adjusted with respect to the frame member, and it is frictionally retained by the clamping plates in such adjusted position. 7

I havealready explained how the frame member at is equipped with the curtain holding pins 11. The side members 1 and 2 and top member 3 carry pins 58. All. of the pin carrying members of the frame are graduated into inches or other units so as to facilitate setting the stretcher for any size curtain.

It will be seen from the foregoing that my invention provides a curtain stretcher which is very convenient of use, being readily adjustable to curtains of various sizes and being so constructed as to insure the irame inel'llbers being in right angular relation to each other when set up for use, and having its parts so connected as to facilitate assembly, disassembly and folding. Attention is also directed to the fact that there are no fittings which objec-tionably extend over the front surface of the frame to interfere with the attachment of the curtains to the pins.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a curtain stretcher, the combination of a frame member having longitudinal grooves along its opposite edges, a strut of substantially the same width as said member, clamping plates applied to the opposite edges of one end of said strut and having inwardly turned flanges for engagement within the grooves of the frame member, means passing through and connecting the plates and strut and by means of which said plates may be drawn together into frictional engagement with the frame member and strut, said plates having stop portions for restraining the strut against undue angular movement with respect to the frame member.

2. In a curtain stretcher, the combination of a pair of longitudinal frame members comprising hinged sections, adapted to be folded one upon the other, lateral frame members adapted to be adjustably connected with said longitudinal frame members, one of said lateral fame members comprising two relatively movable sections and a pin and slot connection between said relatively movable sections, means for adjusting the relative position of said two sections, one end of each section being beveled and having a clamping plate secured thereto having an overturned flange and thumb screws threaded therethrough for clamping said sections to said longitudinal frame members, and a complementary bevel on said longitudinal frame members, whereby said sections may be rigidly secured in place.

3. In a curtain stretcher, the combination with a pair of frame members, said frame members being composed of hinged sections,

the upper section having grooves in its opposite edges adapted to receive clamping plates, said clamping plates having struts pivotally connected thereto, sectional frame members adjustably connected with said first named frame members, one of said sectional frame members having its ends beveled and clamping plates carried thereby, said last mentioned clamping plates having overturned flanges and thumb screws threaded therethrough, whereby said sectional frame member may be adjustably clamped to said first named frame members.

4:. In a curtain stretcher, the combination with a pair of frame members, said frame members being composed of hinged sections, the upper section having grooves in its opposite edges adapted to receive clamping plates, said clamping plates having struts pivotally connected thereto, sectional frame members adjustably connected with said first named frame members, one of said sectional frame members having its ends beveled and clamping plates carried thereby, said last mentioned clamping plates having overturned flanges and thumb screws threaded therethrough, whereby said sectional frame member may be adjustably clamped to said first named frame members, one of said sectional frame members being composed of two relatively movable sections and a pin and slot connection between said two sections, and clamping means'for adjusting the relative position of said two sections.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN C. SANGERS. 

